1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a locking and recocking assembly with swivel breech-lock and rotating locking head, particularly for inertially-actuated weapons which use the kinetic energy of recoil.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Inertially-actuated weapons have long been known in which the recoil of the weapon is used to store energy by means of the compression of a spring which is interposed between the breech and the locking head and to exploit its elastic reaction to power the various operations of the recocking cycle: closure, opening, case extraction and expulsion, trigger arming, compression of the breech recovery spring, return to closure with insertion of the new cartridge in the barrel.
All these functions are traditionally performed by various components which are mounted on the weapon in different positions in relation to the technical solution used.
There are systems in which the inertial mass is constituted mainly by a swivel breech-lock, which slides within the receiver or barrel extension, by a linkage spring guiding pin and corresponding spring, which performs a translational motion within a tube inside the stock, and by a linkage, which is jointly connected to the swivel breech-lock and acts as a connection between these two parts.
Other systems are known in which the inertial mass is constituted mainly by a swivel breech-lock and by one or more straps which are connected thereto and which, by sliding jointly with the breech, compress the recovery spring arranged inside the guide rod of the weapon.
There are other systems with a rotating locking head in which the couplings that ensure the translational motion of the locking head and of the swivel breech-lock are constituted generally by guides provided on the barrel extension or on the receiver while the combined rotary and translational motion of the head with respect to the swivel breech-lock for locking and opening the firing chamber is actuated by a cam.
There are systems with a spike-type closure in which the relative translational motion of the breech and of the head is actuated, by way of inclined planes, by a spike which engages a seat formed on the barrel extension.
All the traditional systems described above for ejecting the case exploit the impact of the bottom of the cartridge against an expulsion body, which is preloaded by a spring, both accommodated on the barrel extension or on the receiver.
The systems described above are generally constructively complicated and expensive, less reliable due to the large number of components used, and difficult to maintain.